Liquid dispensing applicator



March 21, 1961 LERNER ET AL 2,975,465

LIQUID DISPENSING APPLICATOR Filed Sept. 25, 1958 2,975,465 LIQUID DISPENSING APPLICATOR Louis L. Lerner and Albert Safianotf, Chicago, Ill., assignors to The Gillette Company, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 763,390

4 Claims. (Cl. 15-569) I This invention relates to a dispenser and applicator for fluid materials and pertains more specifically to a dispenser and applicator'for a hair-treating liquid, particularly a hair waving lotion.

While the dispenser and applicator of the present invention has wide utility for dispensing a variety of fluid materials onto any desired surface, it has particular utility in the application of hair waving lotion to a tress of hair wound upon a curler, as in the conventional cold permanent waving procedure. By means of the dispenser and applicator not only is the bulk of the hair waving lotion (which tends to deteriorate in contact with the atmosphere) protected from the atmosphere, but the rate of flow of material and the volume applied to any given hair tress is readily controlled by the operator, and the lotion is readily confined to the desired hair tress itself with a minimum of dripping or flowing of the lotion onto the scalp, skin, or clothing of the subject whose hair is being waved.

Oneobject of the present invention is to provide a dispenser and applicator ofthe type described which includes an elastically resilient, fluid-pervious, open-celled sponge member mounted for substantial compression during use to permit fluid or liquid to be squeezed out of the sponge member onto the surface to which it is to be applied and also mounted to permit flow of the fluid into contact with a substantial portion of the inner face of the sponge member during compression thereof.

Another object is to provide a dispenser and applicator of the type described in which an elastically resilient, fluid-pervious, open-celled sponge member forms one wall of a chamber and is mounted to permit substantial compression of the sponge member with attendant squeezing out of the fluid contained in it without substantial reduction in the volume of the chamber.

Still a further object is to provide a dispenser and applicator of the type described in which means is provided for replenishing the supply of fluid in the chamber each time the sponge member is compressed.

Other and further objectsfwill be apparent from the drawing and from the description which follows.

In the drawngsr. I Fig.1 is a view in end elevation. of a nonelected form of dispenser and applicator;

Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal section of the form shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of the same form;

tentO Fig. 8 isa view in vertical cross-section taken along line 88 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a view in horizontal section, partly broken away, of still another form of dispenser and applicator; and

Fig. 10 is a view in vertical section taken along line 10-10 of Fig. 9.

As appears from the drawings, the device of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive comprises a chamber or trough indicated generally by the numeral 10 which is of generally rectangular configuration, as seen in Fig. 3 having an upstanding rigid peripheral wall 12 extending completely around the chamber. An elastically resilient, fluidpervious, open-celled sponge member 14 is provided which substantially fills the open upper face of chamber 10, as seen in Figs. 1 to 3, the outer face 16 of the sponge member protruding throughout its extent substantially beyond the outer or upper margin of peripheral wall 12. The bottom of chamber 10 is preferably recessed as shown at 18 in Fig. 2 to provide a pair of oppositely disposed supporting internal shoulders 20, 20 on which the ends of sponge member 14 may be supported with the interior or bottom face 22 of the sponge spaced above the recessed bottom 18 of chamber 10 and defining a cavity which serves to hold a supply of treating fluid as will be described hereinafter.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawing, there is provided in addition to shoulders 20, 2%) a supplementary resilient supporting member 24 which is bowed outwardly or upwardly as seen in Fig. 2 and which is secured to the bottom face of sponge member 14. Supporting member 24 is narrower than chamber 111', as seen in Fig. 3, so that a substantial portion of the bottom face of sponge member 14 is openly exposed to direct contact with any treating fluid present in the cavity defined between sponge element 14 and the recessed bottom 18 of chamber 10.

A generally cylindrical internally threaded neck portion 26 is secured to the bottom of chamber 10 and serves to mount the applicator upon the neck of a container 28. A valve opening 30 is centrally disposed in the recessed bottom 18 and provides communication between the cavity behind sponge member 14 and the interior of container 28. Valve opening 30 is normally closed by valve 32 provided with valve stem 34 which is connected to resilient supporting member 24 which in turn, as pointed Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the means for supporting out above, is secured to sponge member 14.

Sponge member 14 in its uncompressed condition substantially completely fills the open upper face of chamber 10 and has an apparent volume substantially greater than the maximum volume of the cavity defined between sponge member 14 and recessed bottom 18 of chamber 10.

In operation of the device, the container 28 is inverted with the dispenser and applicator mounted upon its mouth and sponge member 14 is pressed against the surface such as the wound hair tress 36 as shown in Fig. 5. The pressure compresses sponge member 14, causing the fluid with which it is filled to be squeezed out through its fluidpervious face onto the hair tress. Simultaneously the compression of sponge member 14 and the consequent slight flattening of supporting member 24 moves valve 32 to the open position, permitting additional treating fluid to flow from container 23 through valve opening 30 into the cavity between sponge member 14 and recessed bottom 18. This treating fluid is then in direct contact with a substantial portion of the inner face 22 of sponge member 14 so that when the pressure against tress 36 is released and the elastic sponge member 14 regains its original uncompressed shape and size, it absorbs or soaks up the fluid contained in the cavity and its ready to deliver the fluid uniformly throughout the extent of its outer face 16 when pressed against the hair tress or V 3 any other surface'to which it is desired to apply the fluid. At the same time that sponge member 14 is removed from contact with hair tress 36 and is allowed to regain its original shape valve 32 is urged to the closed position by means of its valve stem 34 and the inherent resiliency of sponge member 14 and supporting member 24, thus preventing continued and undesired flow'of "treating fluid from container 28 through valve opening 30 and through the fiuid-pervious sponge member. Because the volume of sponge member 14 is substantially greater than that of the cavity between the inner face of the sponge'member and recessed bottom 18, the sponge member is capable of absorbing all of the liquid contained within the cavity without permitting any substantial dripping from its open outer face. It will be noted that the volume of the cavity varies slightly depending upon whether the sponge member 14 is compressed as shown in Fig. or is uncompressed as shown in Fig. 2. The change is only a slight one, and even when the cavity is at its maximum size it has a capacity less than the volume of sponge member 14.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive in which the additional supporting member for sponge member 40 consists of a' rigid rib 42 secured to recessed bottom 18 having an upwardly convex upper margin and interrupted at its center above valve opening 44 to permit valve stem 46 connecting valve 48 and sponge member 40 to pass through the interruption. In this embodiment valve stem 46 is provided with a small head 50 which engages the outer face 52 of sponge member 40. The inner face of sponge member 40 is provided withvslot 54, as seen in Fig. 8, to receive the upwardly arcuate rigid rib 42.

In this embodiment the inherent elasticity of sponge member 40 alone is relied upon to permit opening and closing of valve 48, and in this embodiment also the volume of sponge member 40 is substantially greater than that of the cavity between the inner face of sponge member 40 and recessed bottom 18. The operation of this embodiment is substantially the same as that of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5 above except that'rib 42, being rigidly secured to recessed bottom 18, does not move when sponge member 40 is compressed, and there is even less change in the volume of the cavity during compression of the sponge.

In both of the foregoing forms the chamber is generally rectangular in plan so that it is adapted to apply a fluid such as a waving lotion to a tress of hair wound in the usual manner upon an elongated curling rod in preparation for waving.

Another form is shown in Figs. 9 and 10 in which the chamber 60 is circular in plan to adapt the dispenser and applicator more particularly for use in applying fluids to flat spiral curls, which are commonly known as pin curls. This embodiment is otherwise similar to the embodiment shown in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive, except that the valve stem 62 is shorter so that its head 64 is embedded in the interior of sponge member 66 instead of being disposed at its outer face, and rib 72 has a straight instead of convex upper edge. In addition, cylindrical mounting element 68 is free from threads and is of such a 4 size as to be a press fit within the mouth of a container 70.

In use the form shown in Figs. 9 and 10 operates insubstantially the same manner as the embodiment of Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive.

It will be understood that any conventional means for mounting the dispenser and applicator upon the mouth of a fluid container may be employed instead of the threaded cylindrical portion 26 or the press-fit cylindrical member 68.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described herein, it is not intended to limit the in vention solely thereto, but to include all of the obvious variations and modifications within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser and applicator for fluid materials comprising an open trough having a rigid peripheral wall, a valve opening in the bottom of said trough, means for mounting said trough on a container for said fluid with said valve opening in communication with the container, an elastically resilient fluid-pervious open-celled sponge member mounted in said trough with its outer face protruding throughout its extent substantially beyond said peripheral wall, support means for maintaining the inner face of said sponge member in spaced relation from the bottom of said trough, a valve mounted in said opening, and a valve stem connecting said valve and the outer face of said sponge member, said stem passing adjacent said support means to open said valve when said sponge member is compressed.

2. A dispenser and applicator as defined in claim 1 in which the support means for maintaining the inner face of the sponge member spaced above the bottom of the trough contacts only a portion of said inner face, leaving another portion thereof directly exposed to the fluid passing through said valve opening.

3. A dispenser and applicator as defined in claim 2 in which said opening is disposed adjacent the center of said bottom and said supporting means has a convex upper face embedded in the inner face of'said sponge member.

4. A dispenser and applicator as defined in claim 3 in which said supporting means consists of a single rib spanning the bottom of said trough contacting only a minor portion of said inner face and leaving a major portion exposed to fluid passing through said opening, said rib being interrupted at its center adjacent said valve opening, and said valve stem extending through the interruption of said rib and being secured to the outer face of said sponge member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 547,976 Wales Oct. 15, 1,895

868,609 Martin Oct. 15, 1907 1,185,760 Berry June 6, 1916 2,080,778 Moine et al. May 18, 1937 2,210,206 Fisher Aug. 6, 1940 2,320,823 Kingson June 1, 1943 2,547,881 Murray Apr. 3, 1951 

